The Vaccine Research Center Nonhuman primate Immunogenicity Core supports the basic research laboratories of the VRC that are performing vaccination experiments with nonhuman primates. The Core has developed rigorous protocols for the isolation of cells, cryopreservation of cells, isolation of mucosal specimens, assays to detect immune function, and assays to determine lymphocyte representation in tissues. The NIC will qualify and validate these assays in order to provide the most rigorous support for basic research laboratories by ensuring consistency, sensitivity, and reproducibility. The Core has expertise in all aspects of NHP experiments, and provides support to investigators at multiple levels: design and implementation of experiments, writing and presenting the animal protocols to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, scheduling of experiments, interfacing with the Laboratory of Animal Medicine and animal contract facilities, processing of specimens, data analysis. The Core also maintains a cryorepository of specimens, and participates in international training and collaborations to ensure translation of Core assays to other sites.